Chinese Jade, regarded as the legacy of the stone age and essence of rivers and
mountains, has placed a very important role in Chinese culture, art and
history. Its long history, abundant content, wide scope and profound influence
have far exceeded cultures of tea, porcelain,
wine and silk in Chinese history. Qualities of Jade
—— Jade is charming in colors , solid in texture,
comfortable to touch and produces a pleasant sound when rapped. Chinese think
jade is special because it has far exceeded the simple decoration, but became
Chinese inner sustenance. The light
green jade is seen as a metaphor for human virtues because of its durability,
hardness and beauty. White jade is the most highly valued, but the stone comes
in a variety of translucent shades of light green, yellow, brown and black. Myth about Jade ——The imperial gem has always been
empowered with magical properties. The ancients believed that jade was formed where
phoenixes had landed and where there were accumulations of the essence of Yang.
Proper dredging was conducted during moon-lit nights by women (women were
philosophized as Yin ) to absorb Yang could purify jade, the essence of the
earth and heaven, be obtained . This belief influenced the Chinese for many centuries. Jade was also considered a guardian against illness and evil spirit. People
think jade could bring good luck and get bad luck away, that is even babies in
China are wear a tiny jade bangle.
So jade is deeply rooted in Chinese thoughts as a vital part of life.
Jewelry jade —— Modern scientific research shows that
using daily necessities made of jade texture is good for people's health. So
many jade jewelry have been carved today, such as jade pendants, bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings . Also many
Chinese Zodiac animals of jade crafts have been produced, like horse, chicken, monkey
etc. . Among them the most important one is jade dragon. Jade also became a favorite material for the crafting of Chinese
Immortals, such as buddha, the goddess of mercy.
In a word, the jade is a kinds
of beautiful gemstone with both practical value and spiritual value for
Chinese.
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